By Mike Isbell
University of Georgia
Fall, and especially October, was always a busy time back home.
Dad hated to see anything go to waste. So Mom and Dad dried
apples every year.
They picked the apples from our trees and worked hard peeling and
slicing them. They put several pieces of tin across three or four
old sawhorses and spread the apple slices out on the tin to dry
in the sun.
Fall is still a busy time for a lot of folks. Apples and pumpkins
signal the cooler weather. And that inspires folks to get outside
and work in their yards.
Mulch a little
It remains the best time to plant and transplant woody and
herbaceous ornamentals. By now the energy produced by the leaves
this summer has been funneled to the roots for winter growth.
Although the tops of plants are dormant in winter, the roots
continue to grow throughout the winter. So when spring arrives,
the plants are ready to explode with new growth.
Dig and divide herbaceous perennials now. Wait until November to
divide fall-blooming plants. If you can’t get around to all of
these tasks this month, don’t worry. Divisions and transplanting
can be done in November, December and January.
No need to rush
Don’t be too hasty to plant pansies. An ideal time to plant them
would be from now to the end of November.
Trees will soon be tossing their leaves for us to recycle as
mulch. Shredded leaves stay put better on the landscape and don’t
blow around like whole leaves. They also do a better job of
holding moisture in the soil and insulating roots of plants from
winter cold.
Don’t forget to add an inch or two of new mulch to ornamental
plantings to help protect them from the cold. It’s an exciting
time in the Georgia landscape, a time to dig, divide and renew
landscapes for next year.
Yep, there is a lot going on in October. I just got back from
visiting my mother up in north Georgia. I brought back a bushel
of Mutsu apples for me and a bushel of Granny Smiths for my
friend Anna.
Anna has already started drying her apples.
I haven’t had a chance to dry mine yet. I’ve been too busy. It is
October, you know.
